Cost of Living Comparison Between Wells and PhuketCost of Living Comparison Between Wells and Phuket
Monthly Cost of Living
😐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,278 in Wells versus $1,265 in Phuket.
😐Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,372 in Wells versus $2,297 in Phuket.
😐Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,466 in Wells versus $3,329 in Phuket.
😐Living in Wells is roughly 80% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.
📊The two cities straddle the global median: Wells is 70% above, Phuket is 6% below.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Wells
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$27.44£20.43
$4.70฿154
483.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$78.5£58.5
$45.37฿1,483
73.02%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.49£8.56
$8.43฿276
36.30%
Cappuccino
$4.94£3.68
$2.93฿95.7
68.60%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28£1.70
$0.69฿22.42
230.43%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.35£1.75
$0.37฿12.00
535.14%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$7.30£5.43
$2.41฿78.7
202.90%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$6.99£5.21
$3.72฿122
87.90%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Wells
Phuket
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.53£1.14
$2.23฿73.0
-31.39%
White Bread(500g)
$1.34£1.00
$1.83฿59.9
-26.78%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.99£1.48
$2.17฿70.9
-8.29%
Eggs
$3.97£2.96
$2.21฿72.4
79.64%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.72£7.24
$19.74฿645
-50.76%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.00£3.73
$3.63฿119
37.74%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$12.21£9.09
$13.53฿442
-9.76%
Apples(1kg)
$2.41£1.80
$3.28฿107
-26.52%
Banana(1kg)
$1.20£0.89
$1.61฿52.7
-25.47%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.20£1.64
$2.41฿78.7
-8.71%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.96£2.20
$2.08฿68.1
42.31%
Potato(1kg)
$0.67£0.50
$1.53฿49.97
-56.21%
Onion(1kg)
$1.22£0.91
$1.48฿48.41
-17.57%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.60£0.45
$0.99฿32.32
-39.39%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.38£1.03
$0.51฿16.68
170.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$17.62£13.12
$4.41฿144
299.55%
Wine(Bottle)
$9.22£6.87
$19.38฿634
-52.43%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.65£1.97
$1.78฿58.1
48.88%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.73£2.04
$2.71฿88.7
0.74%
🚌 Getting Around
Wells
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$3.71£2.76
$1.37฿44.83
170.80%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$85.2£63.4
$11.39฿372
647.67%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$4.44£3.31
$3.02฿98.7
47.02%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.03£0.77
$0.99฿32.51
4.04%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$32.28£24.04
$14.10฿461
128.94%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.95£1.45
$1.36฿44.55
43.38%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.2K£28.4K
$28.2K฿921.9K
35.30%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.1K£30.6K
$32.9K฿1.1M
24.98%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wells
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$337£251
$122฿3,978
176.81%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.83£10.30
$13.57฿444
1.92%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.86£30.43
$18.31฿599
123.16%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Wells
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$53.6£39.93
$60.2฿1,969
-10.98%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.14฿560
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.31£6.93
$8.69฿284
7.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Wells
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$1,549£1,154
$693฿22.7K
123.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$18.2K£13.5K
$15.7K฿512.8K
15.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Wells
Phuket
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$37.34£27.81
$59.5฿1,946
-37.28%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.7£39.22
$34.77฿1,137
51.45%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$61.7£45.96
$115฿3,746
-46.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103£76.6
$83.3฿2,723
23.50%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Wells
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,206£898
$613฿20.0K
96.72%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,008£750
$437฿14.3K
130.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,046£1,524
$2,094฿68.5K
-2.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,603£1,194
$1,509฿49.3K
6.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$5,890£4,387
$3,749฿122.6K
57.09%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
-
$2,616฿85.5K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Wells
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
-
$508฿16.6K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.62
5.33
5.44%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Wells: June 1, 2026
Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,206 in Wells and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
🛒Dining out: $79.0 in Wells vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $247 vs $293, with Wells cheaper for home cooking.
City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)
The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Wells vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Wells?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 80% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $3,417 in Wells and $1,898 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Wells and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,206 in Wells versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $1,549 in Wells versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Wells and Phuket?
Shoppers in Wells pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Wells or Phuket?
At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,278 in Wells, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Wells. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Wells or Phuket more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Wells, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Wells or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Wells and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Wells. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.